i hear this alot but i gotta ask

[btm24]

so ever since ive joined this web sight ive just been sucking up info that will help me out with my truck any that crazy list of mods i have that won't ever be finished with. but what type of lift kit is the best in my situation. I have a 89 Jeep Comanche 2x4 runin on 31's for now. i would like a 4.5"-6" lift but with out having to do alot to get there. the kits ive found were:

5” http://www.rocky-road.com/comanche.html and

 

4.5” http://www.hedgehogmotorsports.com/stor ... -p286.html

 

now ive heard that the rocky road kit dose not come with every thing you need but is it a good kit? i care about it lasting and not saging. and the rough country lift ive heard good things about. are there any other lifts like these that are any good? and which lift (out of the two i have) is better when i comes to how they last?

my other ? is i would like to run 33's after i put a lift on do the stock rims fit 33" tires? and would 31's look ok woth such a big lift?

 

Thank yall for any and all info on this + or - i wana hear it all

[shark]

Honestly, i don't like either of those kits. The rocky road kit doesnt come with control arms or drop brackets. your stock arms will be at too much of an extreem angle. your ride will suck bad. the rough country kit is an add-a-leaf kit and they alway tend to sag over time. you would do better to peice a suspension system together yourself. you can use any of the cherokee stuff for the front. you will need springs or a combination of spacers and springs, longer control arms and/or drop brackets, shocks, adjustable track bar or some method for relocating it, sway bar drop or longer links. then do an SOA for the rear.

[btm24]

Honestly, i don't like either of those kits. The rocky road kit doesnt come with control arms or drop brackets. your stock arms will be at too much of an extreem angle. your ride will suck bad. the rough country kit is an add-a-leaf kit and they alway tend to sag over time. you would do better to peice a suspension system together yourself. you can use any of the cherokee stuff for the front. you will need springs or a combination of spacers and springs, longer control arms and/or drop brackets, shocks, adjustable track bar or some method for relocating it, sway bar drop or longer links. then do an SOA for the rear.

 

thank you for the -'s on both kits i rly want to know the good the bad and the ugly. i will be having the shop class at school put a kit on for me so if its missing parts thats no go at all. so the rocky road kit dosnt come with every thing I'm guessing there in the "option" section which ones would i need?

[btm24]

I just found this place that sells the 4.5" kit http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchant.m ... sus_xj_kit

 

how do they stand up? and whats the diff between spring over and spring pack kit?

[Pete M]

don't do 6" if you have to cut corners to get there. I would stick with a 3" kit. :thumbsup:

[mkbruin]

List of items to do 6" as cheaply as possible:

 

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

Adjustable lower control arms

 

Rear:

spring perches

driveshaft

 

 

Now, to do it the RIGHT way:

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

extended brake lines (YJ wrangler lines on mine)

Adjustable upper and lower control arms, preferrably a long-arm kit. RE, TNT Customs, etc...

re-gear the front axle

 

Rear:

spring perches

weldable shock tabs

shocks

slip yoke eliminator

driveshaft

extended brake lines

re-gear

 

 

 

What year is your MJ, is it 4cyl or 6, is it manual or auto?

 

edit....

Just saw your sig, "1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer 2wd 4.0 I6"

So, you don't have to re-gear the front. If its manual, you have 3.07 gears, auto will be either 3.55 or 3.73 (can't remember right now). If you can find a 4cyl in a junkyard, grab the rear axle to get bolt-in either 4.10 or a rare 4.56

[Comanche County]

You're in the right place brother....

 

Just for reference...http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Sus ... t_Lift.htm You can relocate the hard brake line as in Lunghd's budget lift page and use YJ brake lines. Works well.

 

Don't hesitate to call vendors and ask if they have used parts. I got some used stuff from Motion on the Comanche's first go around. Also check out the classifieds here....I just sold RE drop brackets to a member for a steal.

 

PS, that truck looks familiar, :cheers:

[mvusse]

List of items to do 6" as cheaply as possible:

 

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

Adjustable lower control arms

 

Rear:

spring perches

driveshaft

 

 

Now, to do it the RIGHT way:

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

extended brake lines (YJ wrangler lines on mine)

Adjustable upper and lower control arms, preferrably a long-arm kit. RE, TNT Customs, etc...

re-gear the front axle

 

Rear:

spring perches

weldable shock tabs

shocks

slip yoke eliminator

driveshaft

extended brake lines

re-gear

 

 

 

What year is your MJ, is it 4cyl or 6, is it manual or auto?

 

edit....

Just saw your sig, "1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer 2wd 4.0 I6"

So, you don't have to re-gear the front. If its manual, you have 3.07 gears, auto will be either 3.55 or 3.73 (can't remember right now). If you can find a 4cyl in a junkyard, grab the rear axle to get bolt-in either 4.10 or a rare 4.56

 

Don't forget the track bar.

And longer sway bar links should be gotten also. Quick disconnects are the easiest way to go about this.

[mkbruin]

Don't forget the track bar.

And longer sway bar links should be gotten also. Quick disconnects are the easiest way to go about this.

 

Yep. These two are also must-do's on either.

 

I must have still been asleep, I can't believe I forgot those!

[shark]

as far as a kit goes the rusty's 4.5" SOA kit doesnt look too bad. would be better with some LCA drop brackets but it does have an adjustable track bar.

[cracker]

Rusty's is the Dana 35 of the lift world.

 

It may roll down the road now but it won't later.

 

Freinds don't let friends buyt Rusty's.

[SW86]

hate to hijack the thread but what about the Hell Creek 4.5 full spring kit? seems decent enough. it is spring under though but that just means itll be easier to install

[mnkyboy]

You were asking how 31s will look.

 

this is mine when i had the Rocky road 5" and 31s

 

and here it is with the rocky road 5" and 33s

[btm24]

List of items to do 6" as cheaply as possible:

 

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

Adjustable lower control arms

 

Rear:

spring perches

driveshaft

 

 

Now, to do it the RIGHT way:

Front:

coils (I used RE ZJ 4.5")

shocks

bar pin eliminators

extended brake lines (YJ wrangler lines on mine)

Adjustable upper and lower control arms, preferrably a long-arm kit. RE, TNT Customs, etc...

re-gear the front axle

 

Rear:

spring perches

weldable shock tabs

shocks

slip yoke eliminator

driveshaft

extended brake lines

re-gear

 

 

 

What year is your MJ, is it 4cyl or 6, is it manual or auto?

 

edit....

Just saw your sig, "1989 Jeep Comanche Pioneer 2wd 4.0 I6"

So, you don't have to re-gear the front. If its manual, you have 3.07 gears, auto will be either 3.55 or 3.73 (can't remember right now). If you can find a 4cyl in a junkyard, grab the rear axle to get bolt-in either 4.10 or a rare 4.56

 

thanks and yeah I'm most likely gonna go with a 4.5" lift when i have the $. but do you know any thing about the kits i asked about? I'm lookin for info idk if i can build my own lift I'm not to mechanically savvy :dunno:

[btm24]

You were asking how 31s will look.

 

this is mine when i had the Rocky road 5" and 31s

 

and here it is with the rocky road 5" and 33s

 

thanks that looks nice I'm lookin to put on 33's when i can after the lift. how dose that lift work for you? and did you have to get any extras or did the kit come with every thang you needed? btw nice mj

[mnkyboy]

I ran the kit the way it came for over a year,It worked ok but wasn't right. 31s worked fine on it but when i put on the 33s i had to do some trimming due to the stock control arms being too short.

 

I ended up adding RC adj control arms,RC 6.5" coils,sway bar disconnects,longer brake lines,and i made my own control arm drop brackets.

[btm24]

I ran the kit the way it came for over a year,It worked ok but wasn't right. 31s worked fine on it but when i put on the 33s i had to do some trimming due to the stock control arms being too short.

 

I ended up adding RC adj control arms,RC 6.5" coils,sway bar disconnects,longer brake lines,and i made my own control arm drop brackets.

 

yeah see when i by a kit i don't wana have to by more to make it work. how has it lasted? dose it sag at all?

[mnkyboy]

It didnt sag at all. up front they use OME (Old man emu) springs which are one of the best spring companies.

 

in the back you use your existing leaf springs.

 

Only thing i didnt like was the front springs are 3" lift coils with 2" spacers,thats why i went to the RC 6.5" springs. the OME springs did ride better though.

 

Also with any lift you buy make sure you get shocks as yours will be way too short,I got the rocky road long travel shocks when i ordered the lift and they work well

[Pete M]

please do not think that the rocky road half-kit is going to work without more parts. raising an MJ that high up on stock arms causes all sorts of havoc with your steering and suspension geometry. I hate them for calling that a "kit".

[btm24]

please do not think that the rocky road half-kit is going to work without more parts. raising an MJ that high up on stock arms causes all sorts of havoc with your steering and suspension geometry. I hate them for calling that a "kit".

 

then what else do you need to put the kit together? I'm making a list lol

[Automan2164]

please do not think that the rocky road half-kit is going to work without more parts. raising an MJ that high up on stock arms causes all sorts of havoc with your steering and suspension geometry. I hate them for calling that a "kit".

 

then what else do you need to put the kit together? I'm making a list lol

 

A lift is one of those things that you get what you pay for. Don't think for a second these half-kit and cheapos are anything good. If you don't have the money to do it right, don't cobble one together. Remember your @$$ will literally be riding on this.

 

Get a 3" to start if its all you can afford to do right. I have heard good things about Hell Creek, and he is a member here. He will give a discount to CC members if you mention that you are a member.

 

 

Rob L.

[88pioneer]

I was just gonna say what Rob did. If you don't have the money for a big lift, don't skimp out. Even if you do have the money, big lifts are too much headache. A 3" or 4.5" is enough for me as long as its done right. I bought a pre lifted MJ, and will never buy something lifted again. Lifted 5" and aside from longer shocks and LCA's everything in the front was stock :ack: . The currie track bar helped a lot, but the stock steering makes me nervous sometimes. My new 89 will get a 3" lift and 31's, but with all good components to keep ride quality up. All in all big lifts are not budget friendly :smart:

[DJM/78]

On top of what Pete said , no one emphasized steering ? Yes yes , you don't have to swap steering but at 5+ inches of lift , even a aftermarket adjustable track bar will be screaming to blow the bushings . A good lift will cost you no matter what you do and its all expensive , cheap out now and you'll have to do it over , that doesn't get any cheaper .

 

If you don't want to spend good money , don't lift it . 2-3" max before all hell breaks loose in your suspension , steering , drive shaft angles . If you plan on bigger tires than 35's , don't

even use the axles you have under your truck , go ahead and throw D60's in it now , or a Ford 8.8 axle . If you still want a 5-6" lift , than add steering and knuckles to your list .

It will need it .

 

As far as what kit to go with thats on you , remember you get what you pay for . RE makes some good springs and control arms but the track bar sucks , for that go ahead and purchase an

over the axle track bar mount and custom make the track bar with Big Azz bushings , preferably Currie .

 

Tera-Flex is expensive but so far the best equipment I've purchased so far , everything is drivable and durable , my steering has kept perfect alignment going on six months of abuse .

Inverted TRE's all the way man . Glad I spent the money on those .

[btm24]

please do not think that the rocky road half-kit is going to work without more parts. raising an MJ that high up on stock arms causes all sorts of havoc with your steering and suspension geometry. I hate them for calling that a "kit".

 

then what else do you need to put the kit together? I'm making a list lol

 

A lift is one of those things that you get what you pay for. Don't think for a second these half-kit and cheapos are anything good. If you don't have the money to do it right, don't cobble one together. Remember your @$$ will literally be riding on this.

 

Get a 3" to start if its all you can afford to do right. I have heard good things about Hell Creek, and he is a member here. He will give a discount to CC members if you mention that you are a member.

 

 

Rob L.

 

well i don't have any $ for any thang so lol I'm just tryin to put together ideas for what is right to do when i get there. thanks for the help and ill have to check out hell creek 8)

[btm24]

I was just gonna say what Rob did. If you don't have the money for a big lift, don't skimp out. Even if you do have the money, big lifts are too much headache. A 3" or 4.5" is enough for me as long as its done right. I bought a pre lifted MJ, and will never buy something lifted again. Lifted 5" and aside from longer shocks and LCA's everything in the front was stock :ack: . The currie track bar helped a lot, but the stock steering makes me nervous sometimes. My new 89 will get a 3" lift and 31's, but with all good components to keep ride quality up. All in all big lifts are not budget friendly :smart:

 

yeah my friend said that if you by a lifted truck most like its been run to the ground thats why when i looked for a truck i looked for stock. and i also don't want a huge lift i just want it big enough to run 33's in the fucher. but i don't want to clime a step lader to get into my truck. i would like a 4.5"-5" lift. :D